Rotating-cylinder gas-engine.



B. C. KENYON.

ROTATING CYLINDER GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION man MAH. m. 19M.

Lgg Patented May 22,1917.

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B. C. KENYON. ROTATINGICYLINDER GAS ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I4, |914.

Lbo Patent-ed May 22,1917.

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B. C. KENYON. ROTATING CYLINDER GAS ENGINE APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1914'.

2.5 Patented May 22,1917.

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0N, 0F MISHAWAKA, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 DODGE MISHAWA, INDIANA, .A CORPORATION OF rannte-@Linnea cas-inname.

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Specioation of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, i917.

.Application led March le, 191e. Serial No. 824,776.

citizen of the United States, residing at` Mishawaka, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Rotating-Cylinder Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in' rotating cylinder engines and it more espeappertains tothe features pointed out in the annexed claims.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a revolving cylinder internal combustion engine which comprises an even number of multiple cylinders arranged in opposition to each other, in which the-pistons are cast in pairs and so formed about midway thereof that they may slide past each other, performing their functions, without'interference. Another purpose is to form an engine without the usual tie rods, connecting rods, etc. Also an engine that is simple to build and operate and will not set up periodic vibrational disturbances.

With these ends in view'I illustrate in I the accompanying figures such instances of adaptation as will disclose the broad features of my invention without limiting myself to the specific details shown.

Figure 1. is a side elevation.

Fig. 2. shows the valve end of the engine partly in section.

Fig. 3. is an elevation in section, parallel to the axis of the shaft.

Fig. 4. is an end elevation of the central portion of a pair of pistons and the drivon a plane ing block, standing in a vertical position.

Fig. 5. is a similar View of a pair of pistons standing in a horizontal position.

Fig. 6. is a perspective view of a pair of double ended pistons in their assembled relation but removed from the cylinders.

Fig. 7. is an end elevation of a modified form of construction in which the four cylinders may be cast in one piece.

Fig. 8. is an elevation showinghow two cylinders may be cast in one piece.

Fig. 9. is a diagrammatic view showing an approximate relation of the cams and 'valve stems.

A suitable base frame A has standards a and a formed thereon. The standard a terminates in a bearing adapted to receive one end of the crank shaft B that is secured connection with the face of ,flange d may be formed with a therein against rotation by key b. External of this bearingfan annular channel a? is formed by an inner wall a8 that encircles the shaft B and an outer wall at. Into the channel a2 the delivery pipe c of the carbureter C is led.

The driving end of the engine is sug-A ported on a two-part bearing of the stan ard a, in which a trunnion extension d of the crank casing head D rotates. Suitable antifriction metal is placed internally and externally of the bearing portion, ci.` A suitable driving flange d may be cast integrally with the part d. The Hange, in casing head D serves the purpose of preventing endwise displacement of the moving parts. rlhe centering shoulder d2 and suitable holes d5 to support a sprocket wheel orother driving means.

The electric ignition system E is supported on the bearing a5 and insulated therefrom, in any suitable manner. lt terminates in a pointed sparking point e placed a slight distance from the cylinder spark plugs 7"" which successively pass this point as the cylinders are revolved around the stationary crank shaft B.

The crank casing D may be made in two parts secured to each other by bolts dt (Fig. l). When assembled, the crank space 5 is found to forma separate chamber from the cam space d through a partition ai". ln' the outer space d the inlet and exhaust cams are placed as -Well` as the two-to-one gearsk for actuating the same. A hub ae is cast on the partition all having^a slightlylarger inside diameter that the shaft B in order that any desirable anti-friction metal may be -placed between them as this forms the second bearing on which the cylinders revolve.

A spider d which contains the fuel passages d10 is -secured to the partition d? in any suitable manner so that properly gasketed joints are made and gas-tight joints where the hub of d rotates against walls as and a4 of the keyed-end of the shaft B. -As the pressure in the ducts 031 is not great the joints need not be provided with stuifwith a toothed gear ring b fastened to the stationary shaftB and as gear Z13 is carried around b by the rotating cylinders it may revolve at a ratio of 1:1. Gear d meshes with a toothed ring al at a resulting ratio of 2 1 and rotates on hub d8 carrying with it the differentially placed valve operating cams d1 and d. These cams positively control the valve stems f which are practical duplicates of each other-one set operates the inlet and the other the exhaust valves. This action is transmitted to the conical puppet valves f and f2 that are supplied with the usual valve stems which emerge from the cylinder heads through reinforcing and guiding bosses. They are kept closed by the coil springs and opened when required by the cycle of operations by means of rocking yokes f3 secured to rock shafts f4. Yokes ff are fastened to the other end of the rock shafts f4 and the valve stems f when moved by the cams d1 and d press against their under side and alternately open and close the valves f and f2.

Behind each of the valves, pockets are cast, which in the case of the valve -f con-l neet with fuel passages F', all and a2 and for valves f2 connection is made through openings f6 to the open air, serving as the exhaust outlets. Connected by openings f8 with the inside of the cylinders F adjacent pockets f7 are formed. Into these the spark plugs fg project. The cylinders are fastened to the crank casing D by means of bolts and they are held central throughan annular projection f1. Valve stems f are actuated by the cams d1, d" in any suitable manner, .through roller ends or otherwise. This construction insures positive valve action and in order to provide a take up- .for wear, one or both of the rods of each cylinder may have a means for adjustment at its upper end, or set screws could be placed in the ends of yokes f3 and f, the

exact form of such take-up being of secondary importance, it being robable that with proper initial care in tting and adjustment no take-up would be required. Such means being well understood they are not shown in the drawings.

The double ended integrally formed pistons Gare provided g, piston rings g and a central enlargement g2 of rectangular shape, surrounding a rectangular slot or opening g8. Between the heads g onehalf of the piston bodyis removed at g4, (practically slightly more than one-half to allow for working clearance). The enlargement g2 projects beyond the piston diameter in two directions parallel with the face g*1 and suitable provision therefor is y, made within the crank easing D.

In the slots g3 a sliding block b2 is placed reaching across both slots of the two adjacent pistons and encircling crank pin with cup shaped heads,

naar/isa formed on crank Jdisk b4. The outer end of this pin b3 is tapered so as to seat in a conical hole formed in crank disk b5 and is held against rotation in any suitable manner.

With this form of construction the greatest possible simplicity of parts is secured' and a uniform exploding position maintained which with rigidly connected pistons, an absence of rods. etc.` is free from the cumulative vibrational disturbances usually found in evenly numbered multiple cylinder engines having variable positions of cylinder ignition.

Since the cycle of operations is su'ch as are common to four-cycle engines it is thought unnecessary to describe the sequence of movements any further than to state that the order of progression is continuously rotative through the orderly movement of the cylinders F in rapid succession past sparking point e. Thus maintaining a uniform direction of thrust that is of vital importance in high speed service. In Fig. 2 it will be seen that the upper piston is at its extreme distance from the center of rotation ,and its companion is the narest thereto while the two pistons, shown in horizontal relation are in a mid-position having passed over one-half of their maximum traverse. The direction of rotation will obviously be controlled by the forward or back position of the sparkin point e. V

Any suitable tae-up for wear, for instance with wedges, etc., as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be combined with cross-head blocks b2. lf desired the cylinders may be cast two and two-together as shown in Fig. 8 by joining them diagonally through the end wall d?. Or they may be cast in one piece if the cylinder heads are removable, as shown in Fig. 7. Projections el", shown in Figs. l and 2 may be carried the full width of the crank chamber casting D but ordinarily they will serve as a suitable fastening for head D if of ear-shape as shown.

The valve stenis may have outer guide blocks, as f that co-act, with the inner guides formed on each side of spider legs al". Tf it is found desirable to have the rotatable cylinders revoluble in the same 5 plane, a' two-part support in common for all the cylinders, a pair of heads integrally formed and constituting a piston and operable in one pair of cylinders, and having bearing in the cylinders substantially throughout the length of the piston, another 4 piston;J similarly operable in another pair of cylinders, a rectangular enlargement te alinement i-,aamaa a each piston, a segmental prism joining each' pair of heads'and an enlargement forming lengthwise recesses 'of segmental shape between the heads extending to the at face of each prism whereby a pair of pistons may slide adjacent each other within a space equal to the diameter of the cylinders, rectangular slots inthe enlargements, a block l suitable support, means for holding said shaft against rotation in the support, integrally connected piston heads comprising a central rectangular frame having a Slot formed therein and joined to the heads by segmental prisms, each pair of heads formingv a piston unit which is operable in a -pair of said cylinders, and having bearin throughout the length -of the piston, an means common to all the istons and within the slots connecting the pistons to the crank shaft.

3. In gas engines, a suitable axially divided base, a crank shaft supported thereby and held from rotation, a plurality of diametrically opposed cylinders rotatable around the shaft, a rectangular frame havling a slot therein, segmental prisms integral with the frame, rounded ends forming heads integral with the prisms and constituting a piston adapted to be slidable so as 'to have bearing throughout the length of the piston in diametrically opposed cylinders, another pair of cyhnders, a similar prism-piston slldable therein, a crank pin, a block engaging said pin in common for all Vt1on of the slots, and means for holding two pairs of cylinders together as a unit group at an angle to each other whereby the prisms will be slidable face to face with their axes similarly disposed while moving on the same plane of rotation asthe cylinders.

4. In gas engines, a suitable two-part casing comprising separate cylinders and a poran angular crank case to each part, means for holding the parts together to provide pairs of oppositely positioned cylinders in 'axial alinement with each other, rectangular frames havingslots slidable in the/crank lcasing, integrally' formed segmental prisms projectlng diametrically opposite each other from the frames and terminating in heads having the same radius as the arcs of the .segmental prisms, a block slidable in a pair` of slots simultaneously, al crank pin in the block, crank disks placed outside the inner face of the cylinder walls, a crank shaft connected therewith, and means for holding the same against rotation.

5. In gas engines, a suitable support, an inclosed angular crank casing, a plurality of rotatable cylinders secured thereon, a crank shaft held stationary in the support, connected heads forming a double ended piston slidable in two oppositely positioned cylinders, another group of cylinders and a piston therefor, and rectangular enlargements about midway of the length of the istons the same being held in alinement y the crank casing and joined to the heads by segmental prisms integral therewith, a pair of prisms equaling the diameter of the pistons.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERTRAM C. KENYON.

Witnesses:

EDWIN F. MOORE, ELMER G. RICHARDS. 

